Furnace-charging apparatus.



No. 723,094. PATENTED MAR. 1'7, 1903. G. H. WELLM-AN. FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1902.

NO MODEL.

. UNITED V STATES l PATENT ()FFICE.

CI-IARLEs r1. WELLMAlLOF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WELLMAN-SEAVER ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,

oI Io, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FURNACE-CHARGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 723,094, dated. March 17, 1903.

Application filed April 8, 1902. Serial No. 101,909. (No model.)

To all whoml it may concern:

Be it known'that I, CHARLEs H.WELLMAN,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Furnace-Charging Apparatus,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machinery for pro tion and lessen the size and weight of the ladle-carrying truck and to relieve the ladletipping mechanism from the injurious effects of the heat radiated from said ladle. This object I attain by mounting the power mechanism whereby the tippingof the ladle is. ef-

fected upon a movable structure separate from the ladle-truck and transmitting motion from said power mechanism to the ladle by means of suitable interposed tackle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in'section and partly inelevation, of furnace charging apparatus constructed in accordance with'my invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective diagram of the tackle whereby motion is transmitted from the power mechanism to the ladle.

-In Fig.1 of the drawings, 1 represents an open-hearth furnace, which maybe of any ordinary construction, and 2 represents a wheeled truck runningupon a track laid in front of the furnace or row of furnaces, this truck carrying the ladle 3, inrwhich is contained the supply of molten metal to be charged into the furnace, said ladle having at each side fore-and-aft trunnions at and 5,

[ which normally rest in suitable boxes or sockpour its contents into the furnace.

ets on the truck, so as to rigidly support the ladle on saidtruck, the forward trunnions, however, serving as pivottrunnions when it is desired to tip or tilt the ladle in order to Up other rails parallel with those upon which the ladletruck runs is supported a crane 6, which in the present instance is of the gantry type and has a boom 7, serving for the support of a trolley, from which depends a structure, such as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, for carrying a charging-bar 7, which is'intended for manipulating a charging-box, whereby metal in solid form can be dumped uponthe hearth of the furnace, a charging-machine of this character being set forth in Letters Patent NO. 569,075, dated October 6, 1896.

Suitably mounted upon the crane 6 is also a hoisting-drum 9, an electric motor 10, and suitable interposed gearing whereby said motor is caused to operate the drum,'although any desired power mechanism for operating the drum may be used, the electric motor being preferred for convenience.

Wound upon the drum 9 are the opposite ends of a hoisting rope or chain 11, which passes around sheaves 12, suitably mounted upon the upper portion of the crane structure, the bight of said rope or chain passing around a sheave 13, which is mounted in a yoke14, connected by a rope, chain, or other flexible connection 15 to an eye 16 on the bottom of the ladle adjacent to the front of the same. When, therefore, the drum 9 is operated so as to wind up the rope or chain 11, the rear of the ladle 3 will be elevated and said ladle will be caused to swing upon its forward trunnions 4, so as to tip or tilt and pour its contents into the furnace, the ladle being permitted to drop back into its normal position when the hoisting rope or chain is unwound from the drum.

Although I preferto combine the hoisting mechanism with the crane structure of a charging-machine, as shown in Fig. 1, so as said hoisting mechanism may be mounted upon a movable structure independent of that of the charging-machine, if desired, the main feature of this part of my invention being the mounting of the hoisting mechanism upon a structure independent of the ladlecarrying truck, so that it cannot be injured I by heat radiating from the ladle and so that the truck may be of the simplest possible construction, more convenient to transport,

and of less weight than if the hoisting mechanism was mounted directly upon it. Although I prefer also to use the single hoisting-chain connected-to the ladle, independent chains connected-at one end to the drum and at the other end to the ladle may be used, if desired, or a single chain only of such construction may be employed.

The forward end of the chain 15 has a hook whereby it can be readily hooked to the eye on the under side of the ladle, whereby the application or removal of the hoistingtackle can be readily effected, and where two chains are employed each of them may be thus equipped.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In apparatus for charging furnaces with molten metal, the combination of a wheeled truck constructed to run upon rails below the charging-door of the furnaceand having a ladle pivotally mounted thereon, with a Wheeled structure mounted independently of the ladle-truck, hoisting mechanism on said structure, and interposed tackle whereby said hoisting mechanism can be connected to the ladle so as to tilt the same, substantially as specified.

2. The combination in apparatus for charging furnaces with molten metal, of a wheeled truck having a ladle pivotally mounted thereon, a wheeled structure independent of said truck, hoisting mechanism on said structure, and tackle connecting said hoisting mechanism to the ladle and comprising a sheave carried by a yoke having a flexible connection with the ladle, and a hoisting rope or chain the bight of which receives said sheave, said rope or chain then passing over guide-sheaves on the hoist-carrying structure, and thence to the hoisting-drum, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the wheeled truck, the ladle having fore-and-aft trunnions seated on said truck, and a hoisting device having flexible connection with said ladle, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES H. WELLMAN.

Witnesses:

O. W. CoMsTocK, W. A. JoNEs. 

